The Military Manual (1993) of the Netherlands, in the chapter dealing with reprisals and referring, inter alia, to Article 56 of the 1977 Additional Protocol I, states: “Reprisals against dams, dikes and nuclear power plants are forbidden.”

In the history of warfare, reprisals carried out have often exceeded the set limits. This has led to the current prohibition, in the humanitarian law of war and specifically in AP I [1977 Additional Protocol I], of reprisals against several groups of people and objects.